Paper Mario: The Ten Thousand-Year Door
by Cluekid
Summary: Mario learns about a sacred place that's ten times as old as the Palace of Shadow! Mario will see old and new places and faces. As they hunt for the Rainbow Tiles, Mario and Co. will go on the journey of their lives!
1. Prologue: Another Rogue's Welcome

Paper Mario: The Ten-Thousand Year Door

Prologue

Another Rogue's Welcome

_Dear Mario, _

_ I have recently discovered a new palace that seems to be older than the Palace of Shadow. If my translation is correct, it seems to be called "The Rainbow Castle". There seems to be power sources called "Rainbow Tiles". They seem to be very similar to the Crystal Stars, in that they open the gate to the castle. Unlike the Crystal Stars, there seem to be dozens of these tiles. I think that we should pursue this journey. If you wish to join me, please come to Rogueport. _

_ Sincerely,_

_ Professor Frankly_

Mario studied the letter for what seemed like the hundredth time. He had never known that there was a great place that was older than the Palace of Shadow. Surely Vivian would have informed him of it.

"Last call for Rogueport!" the boat captain shouted. Mario slowly walked to the edge of the dock. He was unsure of what would happen this time in his adventures. He was greeted with stares from the inhabitants of the town. He walked up the stairs leading to central Rogueport. He looked up to see the gallows in the central square. He quickly went to east Rogueport.

As Mario went over to the eastern side, he suddenly felt uneasy. The east side of Rogueport was much more run down and poor than the other parts of Rogueport. Luckily, Professor Frankly's house was nearby. Mario would be able to avoid the far east area, where the Robbo Gang resided.

Mario found the red door to Professor Frankly's house and went in.

"Ah, the famed Mario returns!" Professor Frankly stepped out from the back. Mario greeted him with a few gestures. "So, you received my letter, I presume," the professor said. Mario nodded in return. "Let's see, I've been doing some research on the Rainbow Tiles. It appears that there are sixty-four of them. These Rainbow Tiles seem to be different shades of colors that have more power than the Crystal Stars. If all sixty-four of the tiles come together, they will have enough power to open the mysterious door. The first one, the Cardinal Tile, is hidden in a place called Rock Rock Mountain. If you are wondering how to get there, it is just past another mountain called Tall, Tall Mountain. What's that, you say? How do you get to Tall, Tall Mountain? Come, let me show you."

The professor led Mario down the pipe to Rogueport Sewers. They found themselves in the room containing the Thousand-Year Door. Mario felt chills go down his back.

"Ah, nervous, are you?" the professor questioned. "Don't worry our destination is just through that hole." Mario looked over and saw what looked like a huge mouse hole over by the Pit of 100 Trials.

Mario gasped as he walked into the magnificent room. There were dozens of colorful warp pipes that went clockwise as the shades of the rainbow progressed.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it!" remarked Professor Frankly. "There are sixty-three of these pipes that lead to your destinations! I have determined that your easiest destination is through the cardinal pipe, leading to the Cardinal Tile, or course! Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention! When I said in my letter that I would be joining you, well, hehe, you see, Goombella invited me over to do an archaeological study in Dry, Dry Ruins. I'm afraid I won't be joining you, but I'll still be staying in Rogueport whenever you want to ask about your next destination. Oh dear, I have to meet her in less than thirty minutes! Farewell, old chap!"

Mario sighed as he descended down the cardinal pipe, not knowing what could ever happen next.


	2. Chapter 1: Trouble in Tall, TallMountain

Paper Mario: The Ten Thousand-Year Door

Chapter 1

Towering Trouble in Tall, TallMountain

As Mario emerged from the cardinal pipe, he immediately recognized the area known as Tall, TallMountain. He noticed the mountain was dotted with enemies, not unlike before. Rogueport was home to many thieves; however, there weren't many enemies to fight until you reached the sewers. He looked around and saw Ukikis, Fwooshs, Monty Moles, Goombas, and Fly Guys. He knew that they would be relatively easy to fight, except the Fwooshs.

He saw that the path to Rock Rock Mountain was all the way at the top of Tall, Tall Mountain. He knew that he was going to have to climb to the very top. He remembered that there was some kind of creature that helped him fly, but he couldn't remember who it was or where it was.

Unfortunately, he started his ascent by running into a few Goombas. There were three of them. He hit the first one with his hammer, immediately killing it. The other two jumped on him, taking away 1HP each. He hit the next one with his hammer, killing it. The last Goomba tried to jump on Mario, but Mario blocked it, taking him out in the process.

He continued on with his voyage. He came to a giant gap in the mountain. He frowned as he noticed it was a much smaller gap on his last adventure in Tall, Tall Mountain. He ran back the way he came, until he came to the tree. Something about that tree seemed so familiar, yet he couldn't tell what.

Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. He went to climb the tree and a brown creature flew out.

"Hey!" the brown animal said. "My name is Hoot the Owl. Say, I remember you. You're the famed Mario! I remember you from one of your past adventures. You know, I've always wanted to join a famous adventurer on his journey! Would it hurt if I tagged along with you?"

_Hoot the Owl has joined your party!_

_Hoot can use Wing Flap to hit enemies with his wing._

_Hoot can use Talon Lift to carry enemies and drop them from high elevations. _

_Hoot can use Owl Stare to stare down enemies until they lose HP._

_Hoot can use Owl Slam to pound an enemy._

_Hoot can also carry Mario to cross gaps and fly to higher elevations._

Mario led his new partner to the impassable gap.

"So, you want me to help you cross that pit?" asked Hoot. Mario nodded in return. Hoot lifted Mario into the air and carried him across the abyss. "Say, that was pretty fun!" remarked Hoot. Mario and his new companion walked over to an area with a bunch of mushrooms. Mario noticed they looked remarkably like his friend Toad. Most of the mushrooms had red coins on them, but one had an item block. Mario went over to it and hit it with his hammer. A Life Shroom came out.

"Hey, those are pretty rare!" exclaimed Hoot. The new friends walked over to a ledge which had a big black box made of bricks. Mario didn't even try to break it. He knew that he would need a stronger hammer.

The party walked over to a wall of ivy. There were some platforms beside it, but there was no need to climb them. Mario walked over a few holes. Right as he stepped on one, a Monty Mole popped out!

Hoot found himself in his first battle. There were five Monty Moles to beat. Mario hit one with his hammer, immediately killing one. Hoot used Talon Lift and picked up two moles. He dropped them from a high area, killing them. The final two Monty Moles shot rocks at the party. Mario was able to deflect his, but a rock hit Hoot square in the face, taking away 3HP. Mario jumped on a Monty Mole, taking him out. Hoot took out the final one with Wing Flap.

"Hey, I could get used to this!" said Hoot. The two turned the corner and saw them face to face with…three Bob-ombs. Mario was able to take out one bomb by hitting it with his hammer, and Hoot killed the second one with Owl Slam. The third Bob-omb lit himself, walked over to the party, and exploded. This caused Mario and Hoot to lose 4HP each, but killed himself also.

The two turned the corner and saw a giant Chuckya.

"Oh no!" shouted Hoot. "Don't those things have, like, 20HP?" Mario grimaced in response. The big Bob-omb came over to Mario, ready to hurl him into the air. Before he could, Mario hit him with his hammer.

The two had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Mario hit him with his hammer; taking away 2HP. Hoot came down and used Owl Stare. That took away 4HP from the Chuckya. The Chuckya grabbed Hoot and chucked him into the air, taking 3HP from the owl. Mario used his Power Smash badge, which took away 4HP from the big Bob-omb. Hoot decided to use Owl Stare again, which took 4HP away. The Chuckya tried to chuck Mario, but Mario blocked it. This caused the bomb to lose 2HP. Mario took 2HP away from him with his hammer. Hoot finished him off with Wing Slap.

"Phew, that was pretty tough! Good thing he didn't _explode_ with anger!" said the corny owl. Mario secretly rolled his eyes. Mario and Hoot carefully crossed a narrow bridge. Hoot carried Mario over another gap. The party encountered an Ukiki.

"Pssh, this should be easy!" said the owl. Mario jumped on the monkey, taking away 2HP. Hoot took out the final 4HP by using Owl Stare.

The two soon ran into a Fly Guy. Deciding not to waste their time and energy, Hoot lifted Mario above the Fly Guy.

"Mario, lay off the pasta!" remarked the owl. The two skillfully rolled a log across a large gap. Mario almost fell off, but Hoot caught him just in the nick of time. The two came across a sloped platform with Big Steelies rolling across it. The party was able to dodge most of them, but one ran over Mario, causing him to lose 1HP.

The two came across some more Goombas. The battle didn't last long at all this time, with Mario using his hammer and Hoot using Talon Lift to take them out before they even had a chance to attack. Mario and Hoot came to a ledge. Mario grabbed another Life Shroom, and Hoot lifted him across. The party came to the top of the mountain shortly after.  
The two then saw the path to Rock Rock Mountain.

"Ah, so that's the mountain you were referring to," said Hoot. The only thing guarding the party from the path was…a Fwoosh with a crown?

"Well, if it isn't a red carpenter and Mr. Owl!" said the cloud. "So, where's your little turtle friend?"

"What are you talking about?" questioned Hoot. "That's Mario, a plumber, and I'm Hoot, not Mr. Owl! What do you mean by a turtle?"

The cloud sighed. "Oh, never mind. No one seems to get my kids TV show references anymore".

"Well, no one ever will again, 'because we're taking you down!" threatened Hoot.

Fwoosh responded by slamming into the owl, taking away 2HP. Mario jumped on the cloud, taking away 3HP.

"Wow, he must have a weak spot on his head, er, top!" said Hoot. The owl used Owl Stare to take away 4HP from the cloud. The cloud slammed into Mario, but he deflected it, causing the cloud to lose 2HP. Mario jumped on him, taking 3HP more away. Hoot finished him off by using Wing Flap.

"You'll pay for this!" said the cloud before he vanished.

Mario and Hoot walked along the path to Rock Rock Mountain, filled with pride.

**Author's Note: ****Sorry about the short prologue yesterday. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it. As I told a FanFiction user, I will try to post a chapter a day. Sorry if Hoot was out of character. There aren't many quotes from him in Super Mario 64. Thanks to all the views that I already have. **

**Cluekid**


	3. Chapter 2: An Unexpected Boss

Paper Mario: The Ten Thousand-Year Door

Chapter 2

An Unexpected Boss

Mario and Hoot came upon the trail to Rock Rock Mountain. They came to the part of the trail that karts rarely went on. Most karts were gliding in the air at this point. Mario and Hoot looked up and saw a cardinal light coming from the cave. They were on the ground, so they couldn't backtrack. Mario pointed up, meaning for Hoot to carry him up.

"Are you crazy?" the owl yelled. "I know I flew you higher than that on that other adventure, but how much weight have you put on since then? What, fifty pounds?"

Mario realized that their only option was to go down the trail to the mountain, and through the cave in the front. The dynamic duo started their voyage. They had barely gotten started when a tree fell and almost hit poor Hoot.

"Hey! Watch it, will you?" the owl interjected. "Sheesh! I could have been killed!"

Mario shook his head and continued walking. The two noticed an alarming lack of enemies compared to the amount in Tall, Tall Mountain. Mario suddenly ran into a Goomba. The Goomba seemed rather friendly, not starting a battle at first, but the shock from being knocked down caused him to headbonk Mario.

Mario almost fell over as he lost 2HP. He then responded by whacking the Goomba with his hammer, taking away 2HP. Hoot finished the pest off by using Owl Stare.

"Nice one, Mario!" complemented Hoot.

The two continued down the trail.

"Not again!" cried Hoot. Mario looked over to see that another tree had nearly crushed the little owl. The two turned a corner and then saw themselves with a very large, steep mountain.

"Well, I think Steep Steep Mountain fits this place better than Rock Rock Mountain," complained Hoot. The two started their ascent by Hoot almost getting crushed by a boulder.

"Hmm, like the Big Steelies, these things aren't alive, so we pretty much have to avoid them in general," Hoot observed. Mario and Hoot carefully climbed the rest of the mountain, barely dodging some of the boulders.

The two came to a narrow cliff on the side of the mountain. The sky was dotted with colorful mountains and clouds.

"Wow, what a breathtaking view!" sighed Hoot. Mario nodded in response. After a moment of sightseeing, Mario continued on to the area without a barrier. Hoot shortly followed. Hoot flew up to one of the warp pipes. Mario gasped as he almost flew down it!

"Yikes, I really ought to be more careful!" noted the winged creature. As the two reached the cave, Mario and Hoot both saw a cardinal-colored light coming from the cave.

"Ooh! That must be one of the Rainbow Tiles!" exclaimed Hoot. Mario barely had any time to nod as a bunch of Swoopers flew out of the cave. The party was able to dodge most of them, but one of them flew into Mario, causing a battle to start.

The bat-creature took 2HP away from Hoot when he flew into him. Hoot was so enraged that Mario let him go first. Hoot used Owl Stare to take away 4HP. Mario finished the Swooper off by jumping on him twice.

Mario and Hoot dodged another swarm of Swoopers and a few columns. When they turned the corner, Mario noticed that the last wooden arch was sealed with wooden boards. Hoot noticed a puzzled look on Mario's face. The two had no idea how to escape. There was a tiny hole, but only someone like Ms. Mowz could fit through it.

Suddenly, a raging rumble erupted from the sky. Mario and Hoot turned around to see that the wooden arch behind them had collapsed, sealing them in.

The darker-than-normal cave was dimly lit by a light seeping in through a tiny hole at the top of the cave. Mario looked at Hoot with suggestion.

"Uh-uh!" Hoot disagreed. "There's no way that _I_, Hoot the Owl, could fit through a hole _that_ small!"

Mario secretly rolled his eyes once again. This time, Hoot noticed.

"Hey, I saw that!" complained Hoot. Mario pondered over how Hoot saw him in the very dark cave, but he didn't have much time to think about it before a Swooper came through the hole.

Hoot had a look of determination on his face, ready to fight the bat. Mario however, had a lock of surprise and confusion on his face.

_Was that…no…it was…wait…that was…no…it can't be…_

_**Sir Swoop?**_

It looked very much like Mario's acquaintance from the Glitz Pit, but this one looked more buff and experienced.

"Wait," the creature asked. "Is that…m…Mario?"

"That's right!" Hoot said with determination. "And we're gonna take you down!"

"Well then! I see how hit is! Mar…er…_The Great Gonzales_ and Mr. Owl…thing…I _WILL_ DOMINATE!"

"Who is 'The Great Gonzales'?" Hoot asked. "And more importantly, WHO IS THIS MR. OWL CHARACTER?"

"Okay! Fine! Sheesh!" Sir Swoop defended. "Would you rather be called Kaepora Gaebora?"

"Well, that _does_ sound much more masculine!" Hoot observed.

"Well, whatever your name is, I guess it won't matter, because as I said before, I WILL DOMINATE! WINGS OF NIGHT! ASSEMBLE!"

A rustling was heard, and Mario, Hoot, and Sir Swoop looked up. The tiny hole suddenly expanded, and three more Swoopers flew through it.

"WINGS OF NIGHT!" the fearless Swooper cried. "PREPARE FOR BATTLE!"

The four Swoopers swarmed into the party, causing a battle.

Mario took 2HP from the first by jumping onto him. Hoot finished him off with Owl Stare. The second Swooper flew into Hoot, taking away 3HP. The third one flew into Mario, taking away 3HP as well. Sir Swoop did a triple flip and meowed, somehow taking 2HP from Hoot and stunning Mario for one turn.

"Mario!" the owl cried. "Oh well. I guess I'm going solo this turn." Hoot was able to eliminate the second Swooper by using Wing Flap…three times in a row. Mario suddenly awoke as the third bat flew into him, taking 3HP from him. Hoot used Owl Stare on the third one, which took away 4HP. Mario finished him off by jumping on him.

"Mmm, hmm, hmm!" Sir Swoop noted. "This is where it gets fun!" Sir Swoop screeched into the air, which took 5HP away from both of them.

Mario jumped twice onto the bat, taking away 4HP. Hoot took 5HP away from him with Talon Lift. Sir Swoop used his echolocation power, taking away 4HP more from the party.

"Ugh, Mario, I'm losing strength!" muttered Hoot.

"Peril! Peril! Peril!" cried the audience.

Mario gave him a Mushroom. Mario then used a Fire Flower on the bat, taking away 3HP.

"Oof!" the bat cried. "I probably don't have much power left!" Hoot used Owl Stare on the creature, which took away 4HP. The bat responded by flipping and flying into Mario, which took 3HP away. Mario jumped onto the bat, taking away 2HP. Hoot took away the final 2HP with Owl Slam.

"Oohhh Nooo!" cried the bat. "I've been defeated! I suppose I'll let you have my prize, sniff, the only thing I've ever won, sniff."

The bat pulled out a very shiny object-the Cardinal Tile. He then flew off into the sky. Mario walked over to the Cardinal Tile and raised it into the air.

_Mario has acquired the Cardinal Tile! Mario now has a total of 1 Rainbow Tile! Mario now knows a new special move-Cardinal's Call. Cardinal's Call will summon cardinals to steal HP from opponents and add it to your own. _

"Wow!" Hoot said. "That's amazing!" Mario nodded. "Listen, Mario. There's something I need to tell you. I already miss that tree in Tall, Tall Mountain. Plus, what about my other owl friends? I wish I could join you, but I have to go back."

_Hoot the Owl has left your party. _

Mario and Hoot said their goodbyes and went different paths. Hoot flew back to Tall, Tall Mountain, while Mario descended down a cardinal pipe that appeared when he received the Cardinal Tile.

Mario looked around. Sure enough, the pipe took him to the pipe room in Rogueport Sewers. He headed up to East Rogueport and went into Professor Frankly's house.

"Ah! Mario! Long time, no see!" welcomed the professor. Mario waved and showed him the Cardinal Tile. "Ah! You seem to have found the precious Cardinal Tile! Well, lucky you, I've been researching your next path. The next tile you should find is the Tan Tile. This route is longer and complex. The Tan Tile is in a place called Faire Square. To get there, you will take the tan pipe to Yoshi Falls. Then, you will venture to Toad Carnival, followed by Bowser Park, Diddy Kong Water Park, Baby Mario Playground, YoshiPark, Toad's Midway Madness, BabyPark, and finally Faire Square. Farewell, old bean!"

Mario waved and went back through the sewers to the pipe room. He descended into the tan pipe, ready to face his next challenge, even if he would have to do it without Hoot.

**Author's Note: Wow! That was a long chapter! I thought it would be much shorter than Chapter 1. I guess that's great, because tomorrow's chapter will be short. I have no idea what I will do with it. Sorry for all you Hoot fans! I promise there will be a partner for each of the 64 Rainbow Tiles, and 16 of the partners will be permanent! Too bad for Hoot, he didn't make the cut. Thanks for all the support I already have. As of writing this, I already have 55 views from 5 countries in 3 continents in 3 days! Oh, and sorry if Sir Swoop was out of character. I know he was pretty shy in the game, but I decided to make it as if he had matured and become a skilled fighter. Also, some of you may have noticed a few custom locations in the 2****nd****-to-last paragraph. I'm trying to stick mainly to "real" Mario characters and locations, but I'll throw in a few custom things to add some variety. Thanks to everyone!**

**Cluekid**


	4. Chapter 3: Pondering

Paper Mario: The Ten Thousand-Year Door

Chapter 3

Pondering

Mario emerged from the tan pipe and saw that he was in beautiful Yoshi Falls. He saw the boat station all the way at the other edge of the falls. He started walking, admiring the colorful banners and wooden pavilions above him. He came to the first bridge over the falls, stopping to see the view. The falls were truly remarkable, a favorite of every Mushroom Kingdom citizen. As he continued on his walk, he noticed an alarming lack of enemies. Not even a Goomba was seen around the falls. As he came to the second bridge, he looked to his left for the first time to see a spectacular waterfall coming from a mountain. He quickly walked to the next bridge, eyeing the shade that came from the cabanas overhead. He walked for a while and then came to the boat station.

Mario gave a few gestures to the Toad running the station.

"So, you want to take the boat to Toad Carnival, eh?" the captain shouted. Mario nodded. "Sorry, but you'll need a ticket. You can buy them over...there…" The captain's voice trailed off as he realized who he was speaking to. "Wait, you're the great Mario! You know, I'm allowed to give out one free ticket a day. I was going to give it to that Bob-omb from Poshley Heights over there, but, why don't you hold on to this?" Mario took the boat ticket from him. "This ticket is good for anytime today. The boats leave for Toad Carnival every thirty minutes. Let's see, it's 4:36, so you just missed the last one. You can wait and catch the 5:00 boat if you want."

Mario nodded and went to go sit down on a bench near the edge of the falls. He realized that the giant Yoshi Egg reminded him of his good friend Yoshi. He sighed as he wondered where Yoshi was.

_He's probably out enjoying the nice water. Or he could be with Birdo and the other Yoshis. He could be having a meal right now. Yoshi loves food. _

Thinking of Yoshi made him remember his good friend Toad. Toad had been hanging out with Yoshi a lot lately.

_Toad's probably just in the castle, working for Peach. He could be cleaning or even cooking. He may be playing with the other Toads, probably the Toad Brigade and Toadette. _

Then he thought of Peach. He hadn't heard a word from her ever since he started his adventure.

_Where could she be?_ _Ever since I liked her, I've always wanted to confess my true feelings for her. When the right opportunity always comes, Bowser always kidnaps her. Will I ever see her again? _

Then he thought of Peach's good friend Daisy.

_Poor thing. She's probably bored to death in Sarasaland. I wonder if Peach invited her over…_

Then he remembered his brother Luigi.

_I hope nothing bad happened to Luigi __or__ Daisy. Both of them are obviously head over heels for each other, but they're both too shy to admit their feelings. I hope Luigi hasn't gotten himself caught up in a dangerous adventure without __me__._

He then thought of Vivian and her sisters.

_I wonder where they are. Her sisters promised to be nice to her, but I wonder if Beldam held up on her promise. Marilyn seems like a nice girl, but she has no choice but to follow Beldam. And what about Vivian? The poor girl never had many friends. Vivian and Luigi seem so much alike. I don't think she's ever met him that well. I'm sure they'd be the best of friends. _

What about all of his other partners?

_Goombella is probably a very successful archaeologist. She and Professor Frankly make a great team. I'll bet Koops is the mayor of Petalburg. He is just what that town needs to thrive even more. And what about Creampuff? The little Yoshi fighter is probably top of the ranks of the Glitz Pit by now. And Admiral Bobbery is probably discovering a new island right now. Who knows how many new and unique badges Ms. Mowz has discovered?_

"Um, Mr. Mario?" the captain said. "The 5:00 boat to Toad Carnival leaves very soon. Perhaps you would like to board?" Mario nodded and headed on the boat.

"Last call for Toad Carnival!" the Goomba sailor shouted. Mario and the other passengers found themselves very scared. They realized the method of getting down to Yoshi River was very odd. The boat was anchored down on one of the waterfalls. The boat captain raised the anchor, and the entire boat and its crew fell down to the lake below. After that exhilarating moment, Mario was very excited to find himself on his way to the famous Toad Carnival.

**Author's Note: Sorry about that short chapter. There's not much to see in Yoshi Falls, after all. ** **I'll bet that some of you liked or disliked the Luigi x Vivian thought. Luigi and Vivian will become best friends, but the only romance that Luigi will be involved in will be with Daisy (Yes, that does mean that Luigi, Daisy, and Vivian will all appear). Creampuff is the name I gave my Yoshi in PM:TTYD. Toad Carnival is one of my own locations. I think that it will work well with the fair-type theme of this tile. Please feel free to review, but no flames. Thanks to all my views and supporters!**

**Cluekid**


	5. Chapter 4: Mardi Toad

Paper Mario: The Ten Thousand-Year Door

Chapter 4

Mardi Toad

Mario walked into Toad Carnival and was amazed at the sights. There were all sorts of attractions. The bright colors were amazing. The scents coming from the luscious popcorn and other foods were sensational. He saw that there was no way to get to Bowser Jr. Amusement Park. He walked into the Big Top to find the manager.

"What's that?" the Shy Guy running the tent asked. "You want to know how to get to Bowser Jr. Amusement Park? Well, we could let you use our human cannon to blast you there, but you'll have to get approved by the other four managers. First, go see the Goomba running the carnival games."

Mario went over to the area with games. He scouted out the stylish Goomba, who was wearing a stylish purple tuxedo. The Goomba was standing near the Ring Toss booth. He was looking very nervous. Mario walked up to him.

"Uh, hello," said the Goomba. "You want me to let you ride the cannon? Well, I would, but I'm kind of in a pickle. I've lost all four of the rings needed in the booth. If you find them, then I'll sign your note. Thank you!"

Mario saw a giant sign that pointed toward the Merry-Go-Round. He walked to it. He found the Boo that was running the carousel. When he was walking to the Boo, he almost tripped on something. He looked down to see what it was. It was a green-colored ring. He thought this might be one of the rings that the Goomba was looking for. He picked it up and proceeded to talk to the Boo.

"Eeek!" said the Boo. "You want me to allow you to get shot out of the "Boom Machine"? Well, I would, but I'm missing one of the carousel horses. If you find it, I'll be glad to approve you. Maybe you should check near the Petting Zoo."

Mario nodded and headed to the Petting Zoo. He saw a Yoshi that was comforting a crying Bob-omb. The Bob-omb was wearing a blue bracelet. He went to talk to the Yoshi.

"Oh, dear," the Yoshi greeted. "The llama seems to have run away. I don't know where it could be."

Mario went to talk to the Bob-omb.

"You want my bwacewet?" the bomb asked. "Not untiw the wamma comes back!"

Mario took a moment to translate what he was saying. The Bob-omb wouldn't let him have the ring until he brought back the llama. He walked by the horse exhibit, noticing one looked very fake. He realized that it was one from the carousel. He asked the Yoshi if he could return it, and took it back to the Merry-Go-Round.

"Eeek!" said the Boo. "Thanks thanks! Here, I'll sign your paper! Have you headed to the House of Mirrors yet? The lunatic Toad in there wouldn't sign your paper for a million dollars! Have fun!"

He headed to the House of Mirrors. He took a moment to admire himself in the mirror, when he realized that there was a brown creature with a yellow collar on his neck. He realized that it was the llama with the yellow ring on it. He chased the llama around in a circle for what seemed like five minutes! The llama finally lost his stamina and stopped. Mario caught him and took him back to the Petting Zoo.

"Oh, thank you!" said the little Bob-omb. "Here, you can have my bwacewet!"

Mario removed the yellow ring from the llama and took the blue one from the Bob-omb. The Yoshi gratefully signed Mario's note. Mario took off back to the House of Mirrors.

"What, you want me to help you?" asked the Toad. "Well, I won't sign it until I get the Shy Guy in the Big Top to come back with you. Don't let the door hit you when you leave!"

Mario went into the Big Top in search of the Shy Guy. He saw that the fellow Shy Guy was being attacked by a giant elephant with a red ring on his trunk.

"Help me!" the Shy Guy pleaded. "Please, hurry!"

Mario attacked the elephant with his hammer, taking away 2HP. The elephant stomped on Mario, causing him to lose 3HP. Mario became furious and attacked the beast with a Fire Flower, taking 5HP from the elephant. The elephant blew Mario a few feet back, also taking away 2HP. Mario ended the battle by using Cardinal's Call. Cardinals flew into the air and stole HP from the beast, also giving it to Mario.

"Woo-hoo!" shouted the Shy Guy. "You want me to come with you to the House of Mirrors? Of course I will!"

Mario picked up the red ring from the ground. He then led the Shy Guy to the House of Mirrors.

"Okay, fine," said the depressed Toad. "I'll sign your silly old note."

Mario and the Shy Guy thanked the Toad. Mario headed to the Games, while the Shy Guy went back to the Big Top.

"You found my rings!" said the ecstatic Goomba. "Here, let me sign that for you."

Mario, all four signatures in hand, headed back to the Big Top.

"Okay, just get into the cannon and we'll blast you to Bowser Jr. Amusement Park," instructed the Shy Guy.

Mario followed the orders and climbed in. The Shy Guy lit the fuse. Mario felt a rumble and then saw he was soaring into the air. He could already see the amusement park, but was feeling very nervous about his landing.

**Author's Note: Not the best chapter, but others might disagree! This was a custom location, just for your information. Mario's next partner will come in a couple of chapters, and it will be a permanent one, too! Thanks for all my supporters and reviews! **

**Cluekid**


	6. Chapter 5: The Haunted Amusement Park

Paper Mario: The Ten Thousand-Year Door

Chapter 5

The Haunted Amusement Park

Mario felt a slight "thud" as he landed on a soft patch of flowers outside Bowser Jr. Amusement Park. He noticed that there were only about five patrons inside the entire park. He went up to a Toad to see what was going on.

"Well, sir," the Toad said, "our numbers have gone down recently after some…experiences. You see, five of our most popular rides have been reported as 'haunted'. Would you mind checking them out for me?"

Mario nodded and headed to a giant sign pointing toward the Ferris Wheel. He was glad to see that he was the only one in line. That feeling was soon replaced by the fact that he would be all alone on the "haunted" ride.

Mario boarded the wheel with mixed feelings. The ride suddenly started. It rose slowly in a clockwise circle. It came to a halt at the very top. Mario was unsure if this was supposed to happen or not. Then, a gray-colored Boo-like figure appeared onto the cart in front of Mario. It tried to attack him! Thinking fast, Mario jumped down to the cart behind him. The creature followed him. Mario climbed down the framework of the wheel all the way down to the very bottom.

"See!" the Toad said. "I told you it was haunted!"

Mario shook his head and went to the next attraction, the Bumper Cars. He was pleased to see that he was not the only one on this ride. There was one person in front of him. But, it wasn't a person. It was a familiar face to Mario. It was…

"Ah! Luigi!" said the creature. "I'm sure you remember me. Of course, I am Pennington, or The Penguin with the Improbably Large Brain. Who would have guessed that we would have met here? As soon as I heard the word about this park being haunted, I knew I had to investigate. And of course, what better place to start than the Bumper Cars? How I love the Bumper Cars. Did I ever tell you the story of when I ate fifteen banana cream pies and then rode the Bumper Cars? Oh my, what a mess it was!"

"Excuse me, but will you be riding?" said the Shy Guy running the ride.

"Well, of course, old bean!" replied Pennington. "Luigi and I will be riding together!"

Mario and Pennington boarded a green-colored car. Mario was rather bored, seeing as there were no other riders, but Pennington was having the time of his life!

"Take that, you invisible Shy Guy in the cyan car!" Pennington shouted.

The same creature that Mario saw on the Ferris Wheel soon appeared in a red car.

"Oh dear," noted Pennington. "We'd better run for it!"

The red car chased the green car in dozens of circles. All three of the patrons soon became dizzy.

"Oh, my!" shouted The Penguin with the Improbably Large Brain. "I seem to have gotten a mild case of vertigo!"

Mario rolled his eyes and decided to replace Pennington's job as driver. However, the ride soon stopped. As soon as the safety bar was raised, Mario and Pennington made a mad dash for the exit. The creature that had been chasing them mysteriously vanished.

"Ugh!" shouted the Toad who seemed to be the manager. "You two are going to get killed in here! I suggest you leave now!"

"Hmm, very suspicious," noted Pennington.

Mario and Pennington ventured to the swinging Pirate Ship.

"That's swell!" said Pennington. "I've always wanted to ride on of these ever since I was a wee lad. Did I ever tell you about the time that my fifth cousin and I pretended to be pirates? My, did we frighten the neighbors! They called the Police, the Ambulance, the Fire Station, and the SWAT Team all at once!"

"Will you two be riding this ride?" asked the Goomba running the ship.

"Yes!" replied the Penguin. "You see, my dear friend Luigi has always wanted to ride this ride ever since he was a wee lad!"

Mario blinked in surprise. The two soon boarded the ship, alone again. The ship started rising in a pendulum matter. All was going well. At least, most everything.

"Oof!" said Pennington. "I shouldn't have eaten that butterscotch cheesecake this morning!"

Suddenly, the ghastly creature appeared out of nowhere. This time, the ghost sported a pair of large pliers. The creature cut the vertical pole that supported the axis, causing the duo to fly into the air. Luckily, the two landed in the same flower patch that Mario had landed in earlier.

"You two should really be careful!" scolded the snooty Toad. "We just planted those five minutes ago!"

Before Pennington could reply, Mario dragged him off to the Boat Ride.

"Ooh!" Pennington squealed. "I've always wanted to take a world cruise! It's not Seaborun, but it will do!"

Mario and the Penguin boarded the ride, surprisingly with no comment from the Bob-omb running the ride.

The ride started, with cheesy music playing and colorful animatronic dolls dancing.

"It's a Bowser Jr. World!" they sang. "It's a Bowser Jr. World! It's a Bowser Jr. World! It's a Ju-nior World!"

"My ears!" Pennington exclaimed. "They're bleeding!"

Just then, one of the singing dolls morphed into the gray creature the two had seen before.

"Quick, let's row to shore!" suggested the resourceful Penguin. He pulled out an oar from his bag and rowed quickly until they reached the end of the ride. The ghost disappeared as soon as they saw light.

"Please don't interfere with the rides, sir," said the manager Toad.

Pennington scoffed at the Toad, then followed Mario to the final "haunted" ride.

"Um, excuse me, Luigi, but I need to go to the little Penguin's room," whispered Pennington.

Mario became impatient and went ahead to board the Rollercoaster. The Koopa that was running the ride safely led him to his car. As the car was slowly ascending the first hill, the ghost that Mario had seen appeared. This time, he had captured Pennington! The ghost chased Mario from hill to hill and turn to turn until the ride ended. Enraged with fury, Mario hit the ghost with his hammer. This took away 2HP from the ghost. The ghost flew into Mario, which took 2HP away. Mario jumped on the beast, taking away 1HP. The ghost flew above and into Mario, taking away 3HP. Mario hit the ghost with his hammer, surprisingly knocking him out. This also rescued Pennington. Mario was very shocked to see that the ghost was defeated, thinking it would be his toughest enemy yet.

"Now that we have defeated him, I can unveil the true identity of this fiend! Our 'ghost' here is none other than…Wendy O. Koopa!"

Pennington pulled the mask off the beast, revealing…Bowser Jr.!

"Aha!" yelled the Penguin. "I knew it! Now what's gotten into you, Wendy? Or is it Ludwig?"

No response came from Bowser Jr. Mario noticed that Bowser Jr. looked very fake. He also saw some shadowy lines that indicated a mask. Taking his chances, Mario pulled off Bowser Jr.'s head. This revealed…the manager Toad!

"Um, Aha!" yelled the Penguin. "I knew it! Now what's gotten into you, Shy Guy? Or are you a Goomba?"

"Oh, okay!" sighed the Toad. "You caught me! You see, I didn't like all the attention Bowser Jr. was getting, so I decided to shut down this park for good. Of course, I would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for you meddling plumber. And your pet Penguin, too!"

Pennington rambled on about how he wasn't a pet, and how he was The Penguin with The Improbably Large Brain while the police took the Toad away.

"Well Luigi, I suppose I'll go back to Poshley Heights. Take care, famous one!"

Mario said "Goodbye" to the Penguin and made his way to the other section of the park, Diddy Kong Water Park.

**Author's Note: Wow! What an allusion-filled chapter! This was one of my own locations, and Diddy Kong Water Park will be, too. Just in case you were confused, Pennington was ****_not _****one of Mario's partners, not even a temporary one. He was just a major character in this chapter. Thanks again to all my supporters and reviewers. Feel free to review, but please, no flames! Thanks!**

**Cluekid**


	7. Chapter 6: Trouble in the Water Park

Paper Mario: The Ten Thousand-Year Door

Chapter 6

Trouble in the Water Park

Mario stepped into Diddy Kong Water Park and felt very hot. Luckily, a Shy Guy came up to him with a bottle of water in hand.

"Hey!" the Shy Guy greeted. "Welcome to Diddy Kong Water Park! Here, have a bottle of water! What's that? You want to get to Baby Mario Playground? Well, you'll need a V.I. for that. You can get it by riding our four most popular rides. They are the River Rafting ride, the Lazy River, the Wave Pool, and the Log Flume! Have a nice day!"

Mario walked over to the River Rafting ride. He patiently waited in a line for what seemed like forever. He finally reached the end of the line. He climbed into a blue tube and was launched down into the river. The river caused the raft to turn very sharply, causing Mario to hit the rock.

At least, Mario thought it was a rock. The creature unfolded itself, revealing himself to be none other than Eyerok! Mario hit Eyerok with his hammer, taking away 2HP. Eyerok smashed Mario with his fist, taking away 10HP. Mario knew he had to think fast. He hammered the rock in the eye, taking out 8HP, and also killing the rock.

Mario exited the ride and received a ticket from the Toad running the ride. He then went to board the Lazy River. He eavesdropped on conversations and almost fell asleep. Just then, a Cheep-Cheep jumped up and knocked Mario out of his tube. Mario jumped on the fish, taking away 2HP. The Cheep-Cheep jumped onto Mario twice, which took away 3HP. Mario took out the final 3HP of the fish by hitting it with his hammer.

Mario got out of his tube and took a ticket from the Bob-omb running the river. He then went on to the Wave Pool. Before he got in, he took the ticket from the Birdo running the pool. He played around with the waves for a while. He then became bored and went to exit the pool. When he was getting out, he stepped on something. He thought it was a baby and became nervous. He looked down to see that it _was_ a baby, a Baby Blooper! A Blooper Nanny and three Baby Bloopers came to attack Mario. Mario killed the first Baby Blooper by hitting it with his hammer. The second Baby Blooper charged into Mario, taking 1HP away. The third one did the same. The Blooper Nanny charged into Mario as well, but this time taking away 3HP. Mario used his Power Bounce badge to take out the last Baby Bloopers. The Blooper Nanny once again stole 3HP from Mario. Mario finally eliminated the Blooper by hitting her with his hammer.

Mario went to go ride his personal favorite, the Log Flume! He waited in a rather long line, then was handed a ticket by the Yoshi running the flume. He got in his log and waited for the ride to start. The ride finally descended down a short hill. Mario admired the graphics and humor of the Kong-themed ride. He laughed at the part where Diddy Kong tripped over a banana peel. Finally, he reached the grand finale where King K. Rool was about to drop Diddy into a briar patch. Just before the big drop, King K. Rool jumped right out of the ride and into Mario's cart! Mario hit him with his hammer, taking away 2HP. The monster hit Mario, taking away 2HP. Mario used Cardinal's Call to steal 8HP from King K. Rool. King K. Rool breathed fire onto Mario, taking away 3HP. Mario jumped on him twice, taking away 4HP. King K. Rool jumped on Mario, taking away 6HP. Mario was in the "Danger" zone. He was able to take away the final 1HP by hitting him with his hammer, though.

Mario climbed out of his cart and walked toward the entrance to Baby Mario Playground.

"Can I see your V.I. , sir?" asked the Koopa Troopa.

Mario showed it to him and walked into the playground.

**Author's Note: Sorry about that chapter! It was short and kind of bad. Hopefully everyone else will disagree, though! I have realized that Writer's Block + Fatigue = Complete Disaster! Sorry I wasn't able to update yesterday! Thanks to everyone! Please review, but no flames, please!**


	8. Chapter 7: Partners in Time

Paper Mario: The Ten Thousand-Year Door

Chapter 7

Partners in Time

Mario walked into Baby Mario Playground and sighed. He was going to be very bored in the kids playground. He saw YoshiPark in the distance and was going to go straight to it. He dodged the rides and walked to the entrance to YoshiPark.

"Sorry sir!" said the Yoshi at the entrance. "Today is children appreciation day at YoshiPark. To enter YoshiPark, you'll need a child under the age of thirteen. Thank you and have a nice day!"

Mario rolled his eyes. It's not like he could just steal someone else's kid. Then, out of all the faces, he spotted a familiar one. There was a little toddler with a red cap, a red shirt, and blue overalls. He seemed to be lost. Mario walked up to the toddler.

"Mawio!" shouted the baby. "Mawio, I'm wost!"

Mario found that his little friend was lost after accidentally wandering into the park. Mario explained to him that he was on another adventure. Mario would help the baby.

"Thank you!" said the baby.

_Baby Mario has joined your party!_

_ Baby Mario can use Baby Wail to damage his opponents' ears. _

_ Baby Mario can also use Superstar Mario to ram into enemies. _

_ Baby Mario can also use Enlarge to supersize himself and jump on enemies. _

_ Baby Mario can also use Super Hammer to use a very large hammer. _

_ Baby Mario can also use his cape to help Mario run faster. _

Baby Mario insisted on sliding down the slide. When he reached the bottom, he accidentally bumped into a baby sporting a yellow cap. It was none other than Baby Wario! Baby Wario became very angry and declared war on the Mario Bros. Mario started the battle by hitting Baby Wario with his hammer. This took away 2HP. Baby Mario used Enlarge, which took 4HP away. Baby Wario threw his magnet at Baby Mario, taking away 3HP from the red baby. Mario jumped on Baby Wario twice, taking away 4HP. Baby Mario used Baby Wail, which took away the final 2HP from Baby Wario.

Baby Wario cried and ran away. Baby Mario and Mario walked toward the entrance to YoshiPark.

"Ah!" said the Yoshi. "I'm glad to see you brought a friend! Welcome to YoshiPark!"

**Author's Note: Once again, sorry for the short chapter! Next chapter should be long, though. It's actually a real location! I hope you like the partner choice of Baby Mario. Please read and review, but no flames! **


	9. Chapter 8: Past and Present

Paper Mario: The Ten Thousand-Year Door

Chapter 8

Past and Present

As Mario and Baby Mario walked into Yoshi Park, they noticed two areas of the park. One sign read "Old Yoshi Park", while the other read "New Yoshi Park". The dynamic duo walked into the old area first.

The two noticed three main attractions in the old area. There was a tree house, a rollercoaster, and a "rocket ship" that would transport them to the new area of the park. The two decided on climbing the tree house first.

Mario avoided squealing babies while Baby Mario explored the premises. There were climbing ropes, bridges, caves, and more. After Baby Mario had done enough exploring, Mario dragged him off to the rollercoaster.

Mario thought that it looked like a kids ride, but Baby Mario was enthralled. The car slowly climbed the small anthill. Baby Mario squealed with delight. It suddenly descended, and made a slight curve. After the turn, Mario noticed a small figure. The figure was staring at them. The creature suddenly jumped into Mario's car. It was none other than Baby Bowser!

Baby Bowser breathed fire in Mario's face, taking away 3HP. Mario responded by hitting the Koopa with his hammer. This took away 2HP. Baby Mario used Baby Wail, which took 2HP away from Baby Bowser. Baby Bowser soared into the air and landed on Baby Mario. This took 2HP from the baby. Mario jumped on Baby Bowser twice, taking away 4HP. Baby Mario ended the battle by using Superstar Mario. Mario was very impressed. Baby Mario cried in defeat, then ran off to find his father.

The duo ran over to the rocket ship. Baby Mario shouted with delight. He thought that he would be flying into space. The ship rose into the air, but shortly landed in the new area of the park.

Mario saw that there were only two main attractions in the new section. There was a giant pirate ship and a Yoshi Train. The Yoshi Train would take them to Toad's Midway Madness. Mario and Baby Mario stood in the line for the pirate ship.

Shortly after, the two boarded the swinging ride. Baby Mario was a little frightened. Mario was excited. He knew that this was not much of a kids ride. He was a little worried for Baby Mario, though. The ride started slowly swinging. Baby Mario thought this was fun and shouted with glee.

"Whee!" he shouted.

Just then, the bar on the pirate ship broke. The ship was sent soaring into the air! Luckily, it landed in the water. Unluckily, the ship could not float. It began to sink. Baby Mario started crying. Mario tried to comfort him, but was more focused on trying to survive. The cast members were able to save all the pedestrians. Mario and Baby Mario, soaking wet, spotted something in the distance. It looked strangely familiar to Mario. He then realized the name of the ship: Gangplank Galleon. He then realized that the figure was none other than the evil King K. Rool! King K. Rool was the one responsible for destroying the ship. Mario then snuck up on him and hit him with his hammer.

King K. Rool, who had lost 2HP, became enraged and stomped on Baby Mario. This took 3HP from the baby. Mario hit the beast with his hammer. This took 2HP away. Baby Mario used Enlarge, which took 4HP away from the beast. King K. Rool breathed fire onto Mario, which took 2HP away. Mario jumped on King K. Rool twice, which took 4HP away. Baby Mario used Super Hammer to take 5HP from the beast. King K. Rool realized he was defeated. He ran off before the Mario Bros. could catch him.

Mario and Baby Mario then boarded the Yoshi Train. After a long ride, the two finally reached Toad's Midway Madness.

**Author's Note: Just in case there was any confusion, Yoshi Park is from Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers. The Old Area is from MSB, while the New Area is from MSS. Sorry if King K. Rool seemed out of place in a Yoshi-themed park! Please read & review, but no flames!**


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